Armor & Mobility

MAR/APR 2017

Military magazines in the United States and Canada, covering Armor and Mobility, focuses on tactical vehicles, C4ISR, Special Operations Forces, latest soldier equipment, shelters, and key DoD programs

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to connect to the coalition network. The unit will use its updated
CCE equipment for a pilot to obtain real-time Soldier feedback on the
system. Official CCE fielding is expected to begin in FY 2018.
SMALLER AND LIGHTER ON THE MOVE
In support of expeditionary, quick-reaction and air-assault missions,
the Army is also reducing the SWaP requirements of its mobile
tactical network vehicle configurations. Until now, the WIN-T Tactical
Communications Node (TCN) and the Network Operations and Security
Center (NOSC) have been delivered on five-ton Family of Medium
Tactical Vehicles (FMTVs), but the new Lite versions are integrated onto
Humvees, which can be sling-loaded from a helicopter for significantly
increased agility and operational flexibility.
"We virtualized some of the components of these systems – replaced
hardware with software -- to make them smaller and less complex, while
improving networking and network management capabilities," said Lt.
Col. Michael Williams, product manager for the mobile WIN-T Increment
2. "Now units can sling load these network equipped vehicles, providing
commanders with increased speed of maneuver and operational
flexibility."
COMMAND POST UNPLUGGED
Further aiding in the Army's quest to become more agile, Secure
Wi-Fi, which uses the National Security Agency-approved Commercial
Solutions for Classified solution to provide classified and unclassified
Wi-Fi to the Command Post (CP), will not only untether Soldiers and
Commanders from their workstations for improved collaboration
but it will increase unit maneuverability and operational flexibility.
By going wireless, CP setup and tear-down times can be reduced by
hours, and less cable and protective flooring have to be transported
from location to location. Most importantly, network downtime is
significantly reduced. Following CP setup, units can turn on their Wi-Fi
hotspot, and the network can come up first instead of last, in as little
as minutes instead of hours, and Soldiers can stay connected longer
when relocating the CP.
MOVING FORWARD
To retain a technological advantage over potential enemies, the
Army continues to improve its tactical network and the way the network
is managed, operated and defended. The robust unified WIN-T network
can support the mission command of a division all the way down to the
company echelon, or even a small remote team. The Army no longer
limits its view of the command post to that enormous tented shelter of
the past; today's expeditionary command post is wherever the network
is, Coile said.
"The Army's one interoperable tactical network unites us wherever
we are on the battlefield," Coile said. "It enables the commander to see
first and act first while increasing speed of maneuver and operational
flexibility."
EXPEDITIONARY TAC COMMS WIN-T NODE OPS
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